Petr Cech looking to complete Chelsea's 'amazing' year at the Club World Cup in Japan

Chelsea flew out to Japan for the Club World Cup on Saturday night with
goalkeeper Petr Cech claiming that success in the tournament would cap “the
most amazing rollercoaster year in Chelsea’s history”.

It would also, Cech said, be deeply “ironic” that in a year of traumatic upheaval – with Andre Villas-Boas and Roberto Di Matteo sacked as managers and Rafael Benítez an unpopular interim with the supporters – Chelsea could end 2012 on an unprecedented high.

The 30-year-old goalkeeper who has captained Chelsea and is the most senior player in the absence of the injured pair of John Terry and Frank Lampard — the latter, however, will travel – claimed it was now the “evolution” of football that managers do not last long at clubs.

The upheaval, he said, is also worth if it the club is successful.

“Of course it’s not an ideal situation but, on the other hand, you play football to win things and win trophies so in the end if you manage to have trophies then this is what gives you satisfaction,” Cech said.

“If you have a rollercoaster year but in the end you keep winning trophies you are happy. If you ask anyone who has a nice steady year with no major issues and they win nothing then you don’t look forward to it.”

Cech refused to accept that Chelsea, who faced Sunderland on Saturday before heading to Newcastle Airport for their charter flight to Tokyo, are out of the Premier League title race and said that success in the forthcoming tournament could provide a “great lift” for the rest of the campaign.

“We are still in the race for the Premier League although there’s still some disadvantage, which is not the best.

"At this stage of the season when you still have more than 20 games to be played, you can still have a go.

"There’s still the possibility that the other teams will drop some points.”

In Japan, Chelsea are expected to meet Brazil’s Corinthians in the final in Yokohama on Dec 16 — as long as they do not slip up against South Korean’s Ulsan Hyundai or Mexican side Monterrey in the same venue on Dec 13.

“How many times in your life do you have the possibility to be a world club champion?” Cech said.

“I’ve had to wait eight years for the opportunity to play in this tournament and the club has never had the chance to play in it before.

“If you win a major trophy like that before Christmas then it gives a lot of joy for everyone, for the supporters and for the club and it’s a boost of confidence as well.

"It can be a great lift. It’s something that when you go through a period when it’s not happening in the league that it can help.”

However, despite looking forward to the tournament, Cech said the Premier League and the Football Association needed to do more to help English clubs in Europe and in international competitions.

Chelsea are furious that they could not, for example, get Saturday’s match postponed.

“It’s not because of us going to Japan because it happened to Man United when they went to Japan also.

"It’s a huge honour for any competition to have World Club champions.”

He added that not enough is done to help clubs in England.

“Look at everyone else — [Shakhtar] Donetsk, before Champions League matches, every game is on a Friday,” the goalkeeper said.

“Every German team prior to Champions League plays on Friday.

"They always get the advantage to have more time to recover and make it a successful year in the European cups. Now everyone is saying — Man City are out, Chelsea are out.

“Last year three teams were out quickly and everyone starts questioning what’s happening with the English teams but sometimes the advantage of playing earlier than everyone else makes a big difference. Somebody should look at this.

"Not because of us but for everyone. Someone should try and support English clubs when they play in Europe.”